As Burwell’s Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League match against Great Witchingham headed into the final 10 overs, all three possible results were still very much on the cards.

Chasing 292, visitors Great Witchingham needed 59 runs for victory and had recovered from the precarious position of being six wickets down thanks to a stand between Carl Rogers and James Page.

Approaching his century, Page was playing with carefree abandon, but Burwell’s wily spinner Shaftab Khalid broke the stand by trapping the dangerman LBW for 96 with the first ball of the 58th over.

Three overs later, Khalid had figures of 5 for 23 and, along with fellow slow bowler Henry Hoare (3 for 65), had Great Witchingham nine down and staring into the abyss.

Yet a battling rearguard action from Page, who finished unbeaten on 34, rescued a draw for the away side, and when he saw out a venomous last over from seamer Alistair Allchin, who was steaming in off a run-up which started at the boundary in a manner reminiscent of Dennis Lillee in his pomp.

Indeed, Page received deserved rapturous applause from his team-mates after the final ball was bowled.

There was a tinge of disappointment from Burwell skipper Daniel Jones at his side being unable to get that elusive last wicket, but he could not fault the efforts of his young side.

“We always go out there looking to win games rather than anything else,” said Jones.

“We have weeks when we go out and make a lot of mistakes because we have a lot of young lads. We had four 16-year-olds in the side today.

“They need to play without that fear and with confidence, and that’s what we try to do.

“We do that by telling them to go out there, express themselves and try to get results.

“It’s much easier being that side of the draw than the other side and not be the ones hanging on.”

Jones admitted to being surprised his side were asked to bat when Great Witchingham won the toss, particularly in favourable batting conditions at Mingay Park.

Paul Summerskill anchored the innings with an unbeaten 92, but the star for the hosts was undoubtedly 16-year-old batsman Milan Mniszko.

Showing nothing but contempt for his elders, he took advantage of the short boundaries by clubbing 81 not out from just 62 balls, including four sixes and seven fours.

Brenton McDonald was the pick of the Witchingham bowling with 4 for 69 as the rest toiled in the heat.

Spin twins Hoare and Khalid then got stuck into the visiting top order. Yet Rogers and the obdurate Page kept their cool to ensure Burwell would have to settle for a share of the spoils.

“They’ve got some really good batsmen in their team, but that’s why it’s so important here when the ball is new,” said Jones.

“You’ve got to use the seam when it’s new and try to nick a few out at the start, which we did, because it will flatten out and get easier to bat on.

“That’s the joy of having and couple of decent spinners because you always feel you can get back in the game.

“We almost got there, the lads stuck at it really well, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the last one out. That’s the way it goes.”